CAS is an acronym for:
1.Creativity
Exploring and extending ideas leading to an original product or performance
- Activity
Physical exertion leading to a healthier lifestyle
- Service
Collaborative and reciprocal engagement with the community in response to an authentic need
THE AIMDS OF CAS
ENHANCE THE IB LEARNER PROFILE AND CREATE STUDENTS WHO ARE:
- Inquirers
- Knowledgeable
- Risk-takers
- Thinkers
- Communicators
- Principled
- Caring
- Open-minded
- Balanced
- Reflective
WHAT STUDENTS SHOULD AIM TO GAIN THROUGH CAS
- Enjoyment through the CAS experience
- Significance of CAS experience
- Relevance to personal strengths and interests
- Purposeful reflection upon the experience
- Goal identification
- Learning strategies development
- Exploration of new possibilities
- Embracing of new challenges
- Adaptation to new roles
- Participation in planned, sustained and collaborative CAS projects
- Realization of local and global responsibilities towards others and the environment
THE CAS STAGES
- Investigation
- Preparation
- Action
- Reflection
- Demonstration
THE CAS LEARNING OUTCOMES
- All students need to achieve the 7 learning outcomes and provide evidence of the achievement in their reflections and portfolio
- At least one Learning Outcome needs to be achieved in each experience and all Learning Outcomes need to be achieved upon the completion of the CAS programme.
LO 1: Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth
Descriptor: Students are able to see themselves as individuals with various abilities and skills, of which some are more developed than others.
LO 2: Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process
Descriptor: A new challenge may be an unfamiliar experience or an extension of an existing one. The newly acquired or developed skills may be shown through experiences that the student has not previously undertaken, or through increased expertise in an established area.
LO 3: Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience
Descriptor: Students can articulate the stages from conceiving an idea to executing a plan for a CAS experience or series of CAS experiences. This may be accomplished in collaboration with other participants. Students may show their knowledge and awareness by building on a previous experience, or by launching a new idea or process.
LO 4: Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences
Descriptor: Students demonstrate regular involvement and active engagement in CAS.
LO 5: Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively
Descriptor: Students are able to identify, demonstrate and critically discuss the benefits and challenges of collaboration gained through CAS experiences.
LO 6: Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance
Descriptor: Students are able to identify and demonstrate their understanding of global issues, make responsible decisions, and take appropriate action in response to the issue either locally, nationally or internationally.
LO 7: Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions
Descriptor: Students show awareness of the consequences of choices and actions in planning and carrying out CAS experiences.
DEFINING THE CAS EXPERIENCE
- A CAS EXPERIENCE is a specific event in which the student engages with one or more of the three CAS Strands
- A CAS experience can be a single event or a series of several events but it should not be based on single events only
- A CAS experience must be based on personal interests, talents and opportunity for growth
- A CAS experience must provide opportunities to develop the attributes of the IB Learner Profile
- A CAS experience must not be used or included in the student’s diploma course requirements
- A CAS experience must be enjoyable, meaningful and have an impact on the community and/or the environment
- A CAS experience must address the Learning Outcomes
EXAMPLES OF CAS EXPERIENCES
WHAT IS CAS
| Creativity
Art/photography Class websites Speech and debate Drama production Jazz/rock band Musical Instrument Fashion Show Talent show Creative writing Arts and Crafts Pottery Clay work Poetry Composition Needle Work Yearbook Newspaper |
Activity
Basketball Marathon Soccer Sports Swimming Tennis Dancing Cycling Volleyball Martial Arts Choreography Track and field Gymnastics Aerobics Camping Trips Horse Riding Mountain climbing |
Service
Model United Nations Environmental Club Student Council Gardening Peer Tutoring Fundraising project Orphanage Hearing Impaired Blind Beach Clean-up Life saving Soup Kitchen Bazaar Recycling Animal Rescue Old People’s Home International Projects |
WHAT IS NOT CAS
- Anything that is a paid task
- Anything that is unethical
- Anything that can offend religious or political beliefs
- Anything that promotes violence
- An activity where you are passive and does not give you the opportunity to interact
- Anything that is a task for another class
- Fundraising without a clear purpose
- Work experience
- Family or religious duty
THE CAS PROJECT
- It has to be a collaborative experience
- It has to involve at least two out of the three CAS strands (Creativity, Activity, Service)
- Student must get involved in at least one CAS project
- Students need to challenge themselves and show collaboration, problem-solving skills, initiative, perseverance and decision making
- Students need to reflect on their CAS project and provide substantial evidence
- Students need to work with the wider community and make use of their personal interests, talents and skills
- The CAS project needs to have a clear purpose
- The CAS project should be executed for a period of at least one month
- A number of learning outcomes should be met throughout the CAS project
- The CAS stages need to be followed throughout the CAS project
- International mindedness and global engagement should be pursued
EXAMPLES OF A CAS PROJECT
- Developing a literacy programme for younger students (Creativity, Service)
- Coaching a team of younger or physically challenged students (Creativity, Activity, Service)
- Organizing a fashion show for Charity (Creativity, Service)
- Doing a beach clean-up, recycle any materials possible and donate the money raised to a non-profit organization (Creativity, Activity, Service)
- Running an anti- bullying campaign for the school and the community (Creativity, Service)
- Collecting samples of polluted water from various rivers in your community, analysing the quality of water and presenting the facts to the school and the community providing solutions to the problem (Creativity, Service)
- Keeping the accounts for a non-profit organization and providing it with fundraising ideas (Creativity, Service)
- Organizing a fund-raising walkathon, marathon, bike competition etc. (Creativity, Activity, Service)
REFLECTION
“We must thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experiences. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development.”
- Student learning and problem-solving skills are enhanced by reflection
- Reflection makes the CAS experience deep and rich
- Reflection helps the students explore experiences, skills, strengths, limitations and areas of development
- Students learn how to use prior learning in other contexts
- Reflection makes the experience meaningful, relevant and valuable
- Reflection makes you a better person
ELEMENTS OF REFLECTION
A REFLECTION MUST:
- Describe in detail what happened
- Show the emotions faced by the student
- Show evidence of rethinking and reexamining what happened
- Interpret events through a TOK perspective
- Exemplify critical interpretation of feelings and the thinking process
- Show evidence of what skills were mastered, what was achieved and how the students was challenged
- Be of a variety of forms. It could be a combination of writing, photos, videos, journals, diary, etc.
- Become part of the Portfolio
THE CAS PORTFOLIO
The portfolio is the student’s evidence of achieving his/her CAS engagement and it is up to the student’s discretion to decide which format the portfolio would take.
The portfolio should include the following:
- Student profile stating student’s interests, strengths, aspirations, weaknesses, goals and anything else the students wants to include
- CAS plan
- Evidence of Weekly Involvement in CAS
- CAS reflections
- Evidence of the CAS interviews
- Evidence of completing a CAS experience: ie. Supervisor’s reports, certificates, letters, planning documents, tickets, messages etc.
Photos, Videos, Any other Media
